Apparatus for producing soap having a definite water content



July 12, 1938. CLAYTON 2,123,647

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SOAP HAVING A DEFINITE WATER CONTENT Original Filed June 16, 1934 Patented July 12, 1938 APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SOAP HAV- ING A DEFINITE. WATER CONTENT Benjamin Clayton, Springer, N. Mex., assignor to Refining, Inc., Reno, New, a corporation oi! Nevada original application June 16, 1934, Serial No. 730,971. Divided and this application October 5, 1934, Serial No. 747,455 4 14. Claims. (Cl. 87--16) My invention relates to the manufacture of soap and an object of the invention is to provide an apparatus by which soap may be produced directly in a continuous process from raw material.

A further object of the invention is to provide 5 an apparatus for producing soap continuously in placed a pipe coil 52. The water in the pipe coil which the soap is produced in solid form of any 52 is heated by the products of combustion from suitable shape, a burner 53 suppliedwith gas through a fuel A further object of the invention is to provide valve 54. Steam is delivered from the boiler 5 an apparatus for producing soap in which the through a pipe 55, having a thermometer 56 and 10 moisture content of the soap produced can be a p essu e gauge 51 therein, to the p p accurately regulated within any desired limits. While different forms of cooler 6 may be em- Furth'er objects and advantages will be made ployed, it is desirable that One be u d which evident hereinafter. tends to uniformly mix the steam delivered by Referring to the drawing, which is a diagramthe pipe 55 with p delivered from the P p 5 matic view with the elements shown in elevation and the form shown is well adapt d o Re and partly in section, I is amixing apparatus, 2 is plish this result. It consists of a tight shell Bl a heater, 3 isa separating chamber, 4 is an exin which is placed a coil 62 into which the mixtrusion pump, 5 is a boiler, 6 is a, ler d xture of soap and steam is delivered by the pipe go truder, I is a water injection pump, 8 is a glycerine The 0001ed D leaves the e 52 through a condenser, and 9 is a water condenser oi. the jet P p COOIiHB water iS s pp to the cooler type. 6 through a pipe 64, the flow being controlled by The mixing apparatus consists of an alkali a valve 65. Hot water is delivered from the pump II and a fat pump l2, the pump l2 being cooler 6 through a pipe 66 to a tank 61. The

driven by a suitable motor l3 and the pump ll cooled soap is delivered through the pipe 63 to 25 being driven through a speed changing gear I an extrusion nozzle 68, which may have a single from the l2, h fat wh t is d i d or several orifices of any desired shape, the soap to convert into soap is taken from a fat tank Iii bein e t u in the form of threads or as and pumped into a mixer IT by the pump l2, A tinuous bar 63. Devices may be incorporated in alkali tank l8 contains an aqueous solution of a the extrusion nozzle 58 t0 breakup the threads saponi fying alkali such, for example, as caustic or bar into separate pieces-of soap or the threads soda in water, the pump ll taking the aqueous or bar 69 may be broken up after leaving the alkali solution or reagent from the tank l8 and extrusion nozzle Dumping it into the mixer II. The mixed fat The water injection pump T ma l be a and reagent pass through a pipe lg t a coil 1 screw or gear pump, being driven by a. motor ll, of the heater 2. i the speed of which may be regulated to control The heater 2 consists of an outer sh ll 23.1 the amount of water injected through'a pipe 12 which-a coil 2| is placed, and a burner 24 supplied into the 6011 52 1 b01191 with fuel through a fuel valve 25. Gas or oil y gas vapor released n th s paratin 40 may be used as fuel, this fuel being ignited at chamber 3 is withdrawn through a ipe 84 h v.- 40 the burner and the hot products of combustion a P r gauge 35 and a thermometer 5 passing upwardly inside the shell 23 and supplythereih- The p p 34 communicates with the ing heat to the coil 2' I. In the coil 2| a reaction bottom of the sly rinend ns 8- Th rtakes place between the reagent and the fat, soap, ine condenser 8 consists of a tight shell 8| havglycerine andwater vapors, hereinafter termed 8 intermediate heads 92 between which es '45 the reaction products, being delivered through 83 e space between the heads 82 a pipe 23, having a pressure gauge 21 and a therside the shell 8| and'around the tubes 83 is filled mom'eter 28 therein, to anozzle 3| in the separatwith 00011118 water delivered through a P p ing chamber 3. a having a valve 35, this cooling water being re- The separating chamber 3 consists of a tight ved through a P p 50 shell 32 inside which the nozzle 3| is carried. y condensate Dreduced in t yee ine obn- The nozzle consists of a metal member having a denser '3 passes downwardly through a p pe 8 constricted orifice through which the reaction to e glyeerine tank 33, the Pipe 37 being about products must pass. The soap pump 4 is pref-- thirty feet long so that as long as the'lower end erably a gear or screw pump capable of handling 55 the hot soap precipitated in the chamber 32. This pump is driven-by a motor 4| and delivers the hot soap to a pipe 42.

The boiler 5 may be of any convenient type, that shown consisting of a shell Si in which is 01' the pipe is submerged in the glycerine in the tank 98, it is possible to maintain a high degree of vacuum in the condenser 9.

Any gases or vapors which are not condensed in the glycerine condenser 9 pass through a pipe 9|,

having a thermometer 92 and a pressure gauge 99 therein, to the jet condenser 9. This jet condenser is supplied with cooling water from a pipe 94 and is provided with an air pump 95. Any water condensed in the jet condenser 9 is delivered through a pipe 96 to a water tank 91. The pipe 96 is about thirty feet long so that as long as the lower end is submerged in the water in the tank 91, a vacuum may be maintained in the condenser 9 if desired.

The method of operation is as follows:

The tank It is filled with the saponifiable fat which it is desired to convert into soap, this fat being warmed if necessary to a point at which it is liquid. The tank I8 is filled with an aqueous solution of a saponifying alkali, such, for example, as a solution of caustic soda in water. The fat is pumped into the mixer I! by the pump l2 and the saponiiying alkali is pumped into the mixer I! by the pump l l. The variable speed gear I is adjusted so that the proportion of saponifying alkali supplied to the mixer I1 is only slightly in excess of that theoretically necessary to completely saponify the fat. The pumps I l and 12 may be piston pumps but should be of such type that they can pump against several hundred pounds per square inch pressure. The mixture or saponifiable fat and saponifying alkali is delivered through the pipe l9 to the heater 2 and is heated therein by the products of combustion from the burner 24.

In the coil 2| a reaction takes place between the saponifying alkali and the saponifiable fat, and soap and glycerine are formed. Sufilcient heat is supplied to the mixture in the coil H to raise the temperature of the reaction products passing through the pipe 26, as indicated on the thermometer 29.

The reaction products, that is to say, the soap and glycerine, with all of the water content of the mixture delivered to the coil 2|, are ejected through the nozzle 9| into the separating chamber 9. The interior of the separating chamber 3 is maintained under vacuum and there is, of course, a high pressure drop as the reaction products pass through the constricted orifice of the nozzle 9 I.

These reaction products emerge from this constricted orifice in the form of a high velocity jet containing steam, glycerine vapor, and particles of liquid soap. The soap is thrown violently downward to the bottom of the chamber due to the velocity of the jet and in its passage through the chamber the glycerine vapor and steam escape therefrom, passing upwardly and being withdrawn through the pipe 34. Sufllcient heat should be supplied by the burner 24 to enable the temperature as indicated by the thermometer 36 of the vapors passing to the glycerine condenser 8 to be maintained above the boiling point of glycerine at the absolute pressure indicated on the vacuum gauge 95.

The soap which is delivered to the bottom of the separating chamber 3 contains almost no water or glycerine. It is, however, at a sufiiciently high temperature to be liquid and it is continu ously withdrawn through the soap pump 4 and delivered to the pipe 42.

Since the soap delivered to the pump 4 is practically free from water, it is desirable to add water thereto to produce a commercial soap, since such soaps usually contain from 10% to 20% of water. This water content is added in the form of steam injected through the pipe 55 into the flowing stream of hot soap leaving the pump 4 through the pipe 42. The pump 4 should be capable of exerting considerable pressure since it not only takes soap from the chamber, which is under a vacuum,and extrudes it against atmospheric pressure, but it must also overcome some fluid friction in the cooler 6 and a very considerable iriction in the extrusion nozzle 68. By regulating the rate of feed of the water pump I in proportion to the rate of feed of the fat pump |2,-a soap of absolutely fixed and definite water content can be produced.

The mixture of steam and glycerine vapor passing through the pipe 34 into the glycerine condenser 9 is cooled in its upward passage through the tubes 99 to such a degree that substantially all of the glycerine content of these vapors is condensed, this glycerine condensate running downwardly through the pipe 91 to the tank 88. The steam, freed from the glycerine vapors, then passes through the pipe 9| to the water condenser 9. The supply of cooling water delivered to the glycerine condenser through the pipe 84 is so regulated that the temperature of the steam passing through the pipe 9 I, as indicated on the thermometer 92, is considerably below the boiling point of glycerine at the pressure indicated on the pressure gauge 93 and above the boiling point of water at that pressure.

In the jet condenser 9 the steam is condensed due to the introduction of cooling water through the pipe 94, the condensed water being delivered through the pipe 96 to the tank 91. Any air or uncondensed vapor or gas which would tend to accumulate in the jet condenser 9 is continuously withdrawn by the air pump 95.

In practice the degree of vacuum carried in the separating chamber 3 may be regulated by suitable manipulation oi the condensers 8 and 9 and the air pump 95. The degree of vacuum maintained depends somewhat upon the temperature of the jet leaving the nozzle 3|. The higher this temperature, the higher the absolute pressure can be carried in the separating chamber 3. This pressure must be sufliciently low to promote a rapid vaporization of the glycerine, this vaporization being promoted by the fact that the chamber also contains steam, thus reducing the partial pressure of the glycerine vapors due to the law of partial pressures.

In practice the apparatus operates continuously, the tanks l6 and I8 being replenished from time to time and the glycerine and water delivered to the tanks 91 and 88 being withdrawn as they accumulate. The soap 69 extruded from the pipe 6! has a definite and constant water content. The glycerine recovered, being a distillate, is in very pure form and has a high commercial value.

If desired, the temperature in the separating chamber 3 can be lowered suiilciently so that all or a portion of the glycerine is not vaporized and is carried over as a liquid in the soap removed by the pump 4. The same effect can, of course, be obtained by increasing the absolute pressure in the separating chamber. permit the glycerine to be carried over into the soap with a substantial dehydration of the soap passing to the pump 4, is to hold the temperature in the separating chamber 3 above the boiling point of water at the pressure maintained there- All that is necessary to in, but below the boiling point of glycerine under that pressure. a

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 730,971, filed June 16, 1934, now Patent No. 2,037,006, granted April 14, 1936, for Process for producing soap having a definite water content.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination in an apparatus for continuously producing soap: walls forming a passage ciosed from the atmosphere and providing a first portion comprising an elongated reaction zone, a second portion comprising an enlarged separating zone and a third portion comprising a discharge zone; pump means for continuously introducing into first portion of said passage proportioned quantities of saponifiable and saponiiying materials whereby a mixture thereof flows continuously through said reaction zone with progressively decreasing pressure; means for heating said reaction zone to form reaction products including soap and vapor which reaction products are continuously introduced into said separating zone; means for withdrawing said vapor from said separating zone at such rate as to maintain a vacuum therein, thus separating said vapor from said reaction products to leave soap; extrusion means at the end of said passage for extruding a stream of soap delivered thereto through said discharge zone; and pump means for continuously withdrawing soap from said-enlarged separating zone while retaining same in said passage and thus out of contact with the atmosphere and against the vacuum in said separating zone without impairing said vacuum, said pump means developing suillcient superatmospheric pressure to extrude a stream of said soap through said extrusion means after flow along said discharge zone.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which said pump means comprises a screw-pump positioned in at least a portion of said discharge zone.

tinuously producing and processing soap: walls defining a separating zone; means for continuously delivering to said separating zone a stream of hot reaction products including vapor and soap; pump means for continuously withdrawing vapor ifrom said separating chamber at vacuum in said separating chamber and increas-' ing the pressure on said soap to a value sumcient to extrude same through said extrusion means; and means for cooling said stream of soap durin its ilow through said discharge passage.

4. In combination in an apparatus for continuously producing and processing soap: walls defining a separating zone; means for continuously delivering to said separating zone a stream of hot reaction products including vapor and soap; pump means for continuously withdrawing vapor from said separating chamber at such rate 3. In combination in an apparatus'ior conas to maintain a partial vacuum therein; walls defining a discharge passage closed from theatmosphere and communicating with said separating zone; pump means for continuously withdrawing hot soap from-said separating zone at a rate substantially corresponding to the rate said soap is delivered thereto in said reaction products and for moving saidsoap thus'wlthdrawn along said discharge passage as a stream and without exposure thereof to the atmosphere; extrusion means receiving the stream of soap flowing in said discharge passage for extruding same, said pump means acting against said partial vvacuum in said separating chamber and increasing-the pressure on said soap to. a value suflicient to extrude same through said extrusion means; means .for continuously adding moisture to said soap during continuous advancement through saididischarge passage before it reaches said extrusion means; and means for cooling said soapduring continuous advancement in said discharge passage and before it reaches said ex trusion means. v

5. In combination in an apparatus for continuously producing and processing'soap: walls defining a separating zone; means for continuously delivering to said separating zone a stream of hot reactionproducts including vapor and soap; pump means for continuously withdrawing vapor from said separating chamber at such rate as to maintain a partial vacuum therein; walls defining a discharge passage closed from the atmosphere and communicating with said separating zone;

-a screw pump for continuously withdrawing said discharge passage for extruding same, said screw pump acting against said partial vacuum in said separating chamber and increasing the pressure on said soap to a value suiiicient to extrude same through said extrusion means; and means for cooling said stream of soap during its flow through saiddischarge passage.

6. In combination in an apparatus for producing soap: walls defining a passage closed from the atmosphere; means for continuously introducing proportioned streams of saponifying and saponifiable materials into one end of said pas-' sage; means for heating the resulting mixture of said reacting materials during flow through said passage to form reaction products including soap and vapors; means communicating with said passage for continuously removing said vapor from the stream moving through said passage and during continued advancing movement of the balance of said soap and vapors along said passage; pump means intaking from the other end of said passage for continuously withdrawing the soap therefrom against the action 01' said means for removing said vapors.

7. In combination in an apparatus for producing soap: walls defining a passage closed from the atmosphere; means for continuously introducing proportioned streams oi saponifying and saponifiable materials into one end of said passage; means for heating the resulting mixture 'of said reacting materials during fiow through said passage to form reaction products including soap and vapors; means communicating with said passage'continuously removing said vapor from the stream moving through saidpassage and during continued advancing movement of the balance of said soap and vapors along said passage; pump means intaking from the other end of said passage for continuously withdrawing the total soap products therefrom against the action of said means for removing said vapor and in creasing the pressure on said soap products to a value suflicient to extrude same; and extrusion means communicating with the discharge of said pump means for extruding the soap products.

8. In combination in an apparatus for continuously producing soap: means for reacting under heat and pressure proportioned quantities of saponifiable and saponifying materials to produce reaction products including vapor and soap; means for separating said vapor from said reaction products to leave soap sufllciently hot to be substantially molten, said means including walls defining a separating zone continuously receiving a stream of said reaction products; pump means for withdrawing said vapor from said separating zone at such rate as'to maintain a partial vacuum therein; walls defining a discharge passage closed from the atmosphere; an extrusion means communicating with said discharge passage; pump means for continuously withdrawing said substantially molten soap from said separating zone at a rate corresponding to the rate at which said soap is delivered thereto in said reaction products, said pump means withdrawing said soap against the partial vacuum in said separating zone without impairing said partial vacuum and developing suflicient pressure to move said soap as a stream along said discharge passage and through said extrusion means; and means for cooling said soap from its substantially molten condition as it flows in said discharge passage and thus while out of contact with the atmosphere.

9. In combination, in an apparatus for producing soap and continuously recovering glycerine: walls forming a passage closed from the atmosphere and providing a first portion comprising a reaction zone, a second portion comprising a separating zone and a third portion comprising a discharge zone; pump means for continuously introducing into first portion of said passage proportioned quantities of saponiiiabie and saponiiying materials whereby mixture thereof flows continuously through said reaction zone; means for heating said reaction zone to form reaction products including soap and vapor which reaction products are continuously introduced into said separating zone; means for withdrawing said vapor from said separating zone at such a rate as to maintain a vacuum therein, thus promoting the separation of the vapor from said reaction products to leave soap, pump means for continuously withdrawing soap from said separating zone without breaking the vacuum maintained therein and discharging the same through said discharge zone.

10. Apparatus for separating glycerine from a soap mixture containing glycerine and soap, which comprises: a heating device, means for forcing a stream of said mixture under pressure through said heating device, means for supplying heat to said heating device to raise the temperature of said mixture at least suflicient to vaporize said glycerine when said pressure is released and to render the resultant soap in a molten condition, an evaporating chamber, sealed from the atmosphere, means for spraying the heated mixture into said chamber to liberate glycerine vapor and deposit molten soap in said chamber, means for passage communicating with the withdrawing vapors from said chamber and main taining pressure in said chamber low enough to vaporize said glycerine and means constructed and arranged for withdrawing saidmolten soap from said chamber while maintaining said chamber sealed from the atmosphere.

11. An apparatus for producing soap and recovering glycerine which comprises, in combination, means for mixing saponifiable and saponifying materials, means for advancing the said mixture as a stream, means for heating the mixture during its advancement, a vaporizing chamber communicating with said means into which the heated mixture is discharged, means for withdrawing the glycerine vapors at a rate sufiicient to maintain a pressure in said vaporizing chamber low enough to vaporize said glycerine, means for condensing the withdrawn vapors, a discharge vaporizing chamber and pumping means adapted to continuously withdraw the soap deposited in the vaporizing chamber without substantially impairing the vacuum maintained therein.

12. An apparatus for producing soap and recovering glycerine comprising, in combination, a conduit, means for advancing therethrough a mixture of saponifiable and saponifying ma terials, an evaporating chamber communicating therewith into which the mixture is discharged, means for withdrawing glycerine vaporsfrom said evaporating chamber at a rate suflicient to maintain a pressure in said chamber low enough to promote the vaporization of said glycerine vapors, means for maintaining the heat in said evaporating chamber sufliciently high to render the soap deposited therein in a molten condition, a discharge passage, means constructed and arranged for continuously withdrawing said molten soap from said chamber and discharging the same by said discharge means without substantial impairment of the vacuum maintained in said evaporating chamber.

13. An apparatus for producing soap and recovering glycerine comprising an elongated reaction pipe, means for forcing, under pressure, a soap mixture containing glycerine through said pipe, means for heating said mixture during its advancement sufiiciently high to raise the temperature of the mixture to promote the vaporization of said glycerine when the pressure is released and to render the soap in a molten condition, an evaporating chamber sealed from the atmosphere, means for spraying the heated mixture into said chamber to liberate the glycerine vapor and to deposit molten soap therein, means for withdrawing the glycerine vapors from said chamber at a rate suflicient to maintain a sufficient vacuum therein to vaporize substantially all of the glycerine in said mixture, a passageway communicating with said evaporating chamber and means constructed and arranged for forcing the molten anhydrous soap through said passageway, said means being constructed and arranged to effect the withdrawal of the soap without discontinuing the operation of the apparatus.

14. An apparatus for producing a substantially glycerine free soap comprising a heating device, means for forcing, under pressure, a soap mixture through said heating device, means for heating the device sufhciently high to raise the temperature of the mixture to vaporize the constituents thereof when the pressure is released, an evaporating chamber, sealed from the atmosphere, means for spraying the heated mixture into said chamber to liberate said vapors and to deposit molten soap in said chamber, means or maintaining a sumcient vacuum therein to promote the vaporization of substantially all of the water and impurities in said mixtures discharge passageway communicating with said chamber through which the resultant soap, freed from the said vapors, is discharged, and pumping means associated with said discharge means so constructed and arranged to continuously withdraw said soapirom said evaporating chamber without substantially impairing the vacuum maintained therein.

BENJAMIN CLAYTON. 

